“One of my clearest childhood memories is slithering through the tall grass like a snake with my brother and sister.” When you think back on your childhood, what happy play memories come to mind? Adults today tend to think back on their childhood play memories with nostalgia and often call them the “good old days.” Memories of joyful and meaningful play experiences help bind families together emotionally, even long after children are grown. Are our children experiencing the same kind of joy, meaning, and family bonding in their play? Here are five elements essential to meaningful play that create those rich memories we treasure:

1. Children make their own decisions.

When children choose how to play for themselves, they experience freedom in making those choices. They also begin to see connections between choice and the consequences or results of that choice. The type of toys or materials parents offer can help their children make more meaningful decisions. Open-ended materials can be used in many ways so children can decide for themselves how to use them. For example, a child can imagine a block to be a fire truck or any number of things. A toy fire truck, on the other hand, is usually used as a fire truck. Foam pieces, little wooden sticks, ribbon scraps, and other reusable resources are all open-ended materials

that inspire creative thinking and delight when children use them to make something no one has ever made before.

2. Children are intrinsically motivated. The impulse to play comes from a natural desire to understand the world. This play impulse is as strong as your child’s desire for food or sleep. It is this intrinsic motivation that allows a child to regulate her own feelings and desires in order to keep playing. Because children eventually find it more important to be part of play with their friends than to satisfy their own wants and needs at that moment, children learn self-control. And self-control has been shown to lead to success in later years, especially in today’s information age, where distractions are part of daily life.

3. Children become immersed in the moment. In true play, children are so fully engaged that they lose awareness of their surroundings, time, and space. In this risk-free atmosphere where reality is suspended, children have the security and safety they need to experiment, try new ideas, and investigate

Five Essentials to Meaningful Play Marcia Nell and Walter Drew Important Dates

June 2013

Wintonbury Early Childhood Magnet School Volume 3, Issue 9

The Wintonbury Peeper

June 11 Jewish

Federation

Reading

Appreciation

Tea

June 14 Volunteer

Appreciation

and 2nd Cup of

Coffee

9:00 a.m.

June 20 Last day of

School

Early

dismissal

1:00 p.m.

the laws of nature. Although they are immersed in their play, children still can recognize reality versus fantasy, something parents often wonder about.

4. Play is spontaneous, not scripted. Often, play is totally unplanned. Other times, play is planned but a child impulsively makes a change. One child changes his mind, or perhaps a toy does not cooperate. This sense of the unknown provides children with opportunities to develop flexibility in their thinking and decision making, which is a vital life skill.

5. Play is enjoyable. Play always has an emotional response attached to it. Without this emotional connection, the experience is simply an activity; it is not PLAY. Enjoyment is the direct result of engaging in play. It is FUN! These five essential elements of play outline why play provides your child with a rich experience. And isn’t that what we want for our children, to develop play memories that will become the “good old days”?

Please apply sunscreen to

your child before school.

The nurse can only apply

sunscreen if a

doctor’s note is

provided .

It’s HOT!

Please send

a water bottle for your

child to use on the

playground on very warm

days.

No Need to Wait

Until September! You

can send a current health

form to the nurse as soon

as your child has had their

annual checkup. Forms

must be updated yearly.

June Early Dismissal

Please be aware that school will dismiss

at 1:00 p.m. on June 20th (the last day

of school). NO SCHOOL LUNCH is

served on June 20th.

The Wintonbury Art Show

Page 2 The Wintonbury Peeper

Wintonbury as a Resource for Professional Development

On May 23rd and 24th the

Wintonbury Early Childhood

Magnet School transformed into a

center of professional development

for forty-one educational leaders on

Thursday and ninety-seven teachers

on Friday. Participants engaged in

professional conversations about the

power of relationship-based

learning.

Administrators and teachers came

from 20 different districts, private

programs and agencies all serving

young children and their families.

Leading these professional

conversations was national

consultant and author Judy Jablon.

As part of their learning, visitors to

Wintonbury toured our classrooms.

Teachers at Wintonbury were

highlighted for their exemplary

practice in early childhood

education.

In addition, thirty-nine parents

joined in dialogue with Judy about

the importance of reducing the

static in our lives and

intentionally connecting with

children.

Let’s Celebrate Another Great School Year! Individual Classroom Celebrations are scheduled as follows:

Rm. 101 6/20 at 11:00 Rm. 201 6/14 at 10:30 Rm. 301 6/12 at 11:00

Rm. 102 6/13 at 11:00 Rm. 202 6/12 at 11:30 Rm. 306 6/19 at 11:30

Rm. 103 6/19 at 11:00 Rm. 203 6/19 at 12:15

Rm. 106 6/18 at 11:00 Rm. 205 6/14 at 12:00 If you don’t see your class listed

Rm. 206 6/19 at 11:30 please check in with your teacher.

Teacher facilitator Elizabeth

Guidice guides her table in

professional conversations.

Photos courtesy of Haley Ryan

the legacy gift from the

kindergarten class of 2012, a

beautiful granite bench where one

can sit and watch children on the

playground or glance up at the

serene view of the cemetery from

where Alex watches over us.

In honor of Alex, all the children at

Wintonbury participated in a

muscular dystrophy Hop-a-Thon

raising $2,200.00 by jumping,

skipping, running and of course,

hopping all over the playground

and school.

On April 22nd the Wintonbury

Early Childhood school community

joined the friends and family of our

beloved Alex Trim to dedicate a tree

planted in his memory. Staff

shared special remembrances of his

time here at Wintonbury, shedding

some tears and some laughter, but

mostly expressing their love for our

special friend.

The tree, a red maple, was chosen

for its bright crimson leaves

because Alex loved “Spiderman

red”. The tree is planted next to

Alex’s Tree Dedication

volunteering for PTO activities

such as cookie dough sales, Book

Fairs, Fall Festival, Farm Party,

room and pod parents, and

others.

As a small token of our

appreciation, if you have

volunteered in any way, big or

small, we’d like to invite you to a

volunteer reception on June

14th at 9:00 a.m. in the

Wintonbury lobby. Light

breakfast fare will be served with

a large side of appreciation!

Parent and family volunteers are

a welcome addition to our

classrooms at Wintonbury. Family

volunteers add to the rich

experiences young children have

while they are here. Families

contribute in many ways

including: chaperoning field trips,

sharing their vocational expertise,

assisting during center time,

cooking experiences, facilitating

art experiences, being a

Mystery Reader, assisting in

classroom celebrations, and

Thank you volunteers!

Page 3 Volume 3, Issue 9

The 2013-2014

first day of school is

Tuesday,

September 3rd.

Pre-k A-L start 9/3/13

Pre-k M-Z start 9/4/13

Kindergarteners all start

9/3/13

Kindergarteners in Room 203 paired

up with preschool reading buddies

from Room 205 for some great stories!

Dig Into Your Summer

Reading

at Your Local Library!

Avon

The Avon Public Library is

implementing the state-wide

“Dig Into Reading” summer

reading initiative. Children can

go to the library to sign up for

the Summer Reading Club and

soon families can download a

Summer Reading Log from the

library website at:

www.avonctlibrary.info/Childrens

Children and families will set

individual reading goals and can

win prizes at the end of the

summer!

Bloomfield

Join the fun in Bloomfield this

summer by first obtaining a

library card. Then register

on-line for the Dig Into Reading

summer reading program. Use

your card number and the

password “changeme” to sign

up. The library will also host

special events throughout the

summer including puppet

shows, animal visitors, a magic

show, story tellers and much

more! Learn more at

www.prosserlibrary.info

Granby

Granby Public Library will help

families “Dig Into Reading”

through weekly events and

programs. You may access more

information about their summer

programs and story times on their

blog,

www.granbypubliclibraries.blogsp

ot.com. Look for events in the

calendar section or sign-up for

reminders via Facebook or

Twitter.

East Granby The East Granby Public

Library is hosting their

summer reading program

kickoff party and family drum

workshop on Saturday, June

29th at 11:00 a.m. They are

reading for the charity Water

for South Sudan. Reading will

earn children “drops of water”

to fill a virtual well

culminating with a donation

going to Water for South

Sudan at the end of the

summer. Check their website,

www.egpl.org later this

month for more details.

Simsbury The Simsbury Public Library is

also implementing the Dig Into

Reading initiative this summer.

There will be a kick off party on the

library lawn from 2:00-4:00 p.m. on

June 26th. Families of “readers”

should look for a link on the

website by June 24th to access the

summer reading logs. There will

be reading logs on-line for pre-

schoolers in the “read to me” stage.

There will be prizes for children of

all levels! Children can also earn

coins that will be donated to Mystic

Aquarium’s Animal Parent

Program. They will be voting for

sea lions, sea turtles, clown fish,

beluga whales or penguins. The

program ends on August 27th.

Children must have a valid library

card to access the summer

programs.

West Hartford Join the West Hartford Public

Libraries in the Dig Into

Reading program this summer.

Families can learn about the

program and download reading

logs as well as book suggestions

for varied age groups on their

website. Children entering

kindergarten or first grade in

West Hartford need to bring

their reading log to their new

class the first week of school.

All three branches have special

selections of pre-school and kin-

dergarten appropriate books

from the recommended list, ask

for it when you visit!